


Something Close to Family

by hibiren



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cute, Family, Family Feels, Father Figures, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-05-01 02:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5188973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After everything that happened with Beacon, Leslie ends up coming home with Sebastian because he has nowhere else to go, or anyone else to understand him. Sebastian realizes having Leslie with him is almost like having another child...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Changes

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort of AU where Leslie is sort of adopted by Sebastian after what happened ingame and it's soooo cute I'm sorry. Will add chapters as they are written~ it's definitely not finished yet, but it's a work in progress! It's also my first time writing from Sebastian's perspective too, so this was an interesting experience. But I had fun~

“What do I do, Joseph? This kid hasn’t left my side since I got out of Beacon. What if he’s… you know?” Sebastian cut his sentence short to put the phone down as Leslie waddled into the room holding a picture frame in his hands. One of Sebastian’s remaining pictures of his family that had survived the fire, a charred photo of Sebastian, Myra, and Lily one Christmas Eve. “Leslie, put that down! You might break it if you drop it.”

“Break? Sorry, sorry,” Leslie muttered and set the frame down on the coffee table. “Pretty lights,” he added, tracing his fingers over the Christmas tree lights within the picture, a small smile on his face.

Sebastian snatched his phone back up, glad to hear Joseph was still on the other end of the line. “Sorry. Got distracted. But… as I said, I still don’t know if he’s—safe to be around. After everything that happened. Even still I don’t know what to do with him. I can’t let him stay here, this is no place for a kid. I can’t just shove him off into some orphanage, either. I wouldn’t put anybody through that.”

“Just let him stay with you for now. I’ll do what I can to help get him to a safe place. Odds are he’s better off in a hospital,” Joseph said the last word in a low tone, unsure if Leslie was still around and might hear it, “but you know as well as I do it’s too soon to try to send him back to a place like that.”

“Right. Thanks, Joseph. Guess I’ll be stuck with him for at least the rest of the week…” Sebastian sighed. He didn’t think he was prepared to take care of Leslie. Not only because of what had happened—he lost all of his faith in being able to take care of small children after what happened to his daughter—but also because Leslie seemed so delicate to him. Anything Sebastian did, he’d be afraid would hurt Leslie. After everything they’d been through things would have to be taken very, very slowly. At the very least caring for Leslie would provide Sebastian with enough of a distraction he would be less likely to think about the hell they’d just survived.

“As I said, I’ll do what I can to help. If you need me, just call.”

“Alright.”

Sebastian put the phone down and sighed. He felt bad for Joseph, who was stuck up at the police department trying to explain everything. Lucky (or unlucky) for Sebastian, Leslie had pretty much attached himself to the older man, leaving him without much choice but to take him home because he felt unable to do much else at the time. Also it would be good because god knows how the other officers at the scene would have treated Leslie, they probably would have tried to drag him back to a hospital… in good time, Sebastian would try to convince Leslie to go. But only if he was ready to. The boy had been through enough unnecessary pain.

Leslie was now moving around the living room, muttering to himself as he looked at all the interesting little trinkets Sebastian kept on his shelves. He still had on the dirtied clothes he wore while they were at Beacon, which were stained to the point of no return. However he knew that he should keep them for now, because they seemed to make Leslie happy. So if Leslie would continue wearing them, Sebastian at least thought they should be clean.

“Leslie?” Sebastian called softly, and the boy turned around.

“Sebastian,” he replied.

“How about we change your clothes, so you don’t have to be cold anymore? Those clothes are dirty, and it’ll be good to get out of them so they can be cleaned…”

“Clean? Clean is good,” Leslie said, still smiling.

“Let’s get you changed, then.” The warmth of Leslie’s smile washed over Sebastian and he too found himself smiling. “I have an old sweater around here somewhere, if you want to wear that while I do laundry.”

“Laundry!”

“That’s right.”

Leslie wandered around the living room, mumbling about each of the interesting things he saw. Sebastian watched him for a brief moment before walking over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Well, you have to change out of your old clothes so I can wash them.”

The white-haired boy looked up at him through his bangs. “Change.”

“You can’t do it on your own, can you?” Sebastian said, more to himself in realization. It hadn’t quite occurred to him how behind Leslie was developmentally. It wasn’t too much of a problem, just something he’d have to get used to. Helping Leslie would be similar to how he would have treated Lily, but it still felt strange. Leslie was legally an adult, but Sebastian could tell his mind was too far stuck in its childlike state for him to try to take on the responsibilities required to “be an adult,” or basically live the way Sebastian or Joseph carried out their lives as society would have expected him to.

“Change…” Leslie fiddled with his dirt-stained shirt, as if he was trying to remove it. He wasn’t getting anywhere so he gave up and made a soft noise of disappointment.

“Alright. I’ll help you. Let’s go to the laundry room first, okay? That’s where the clothes are.”

Leslie nodded and followed behind Sebastian as he led the way down the hall to the laundry room. Sebastian opened the door and stepped inside, flicking on the light as he went. There was a folded sweater on top of the dryer, an old lifeguard sweatshirt he just couldn’t bring himself to throw away. It was from that one summer in college he part-timed at a nearby community pool because he needed the money and he didn’t mind the job itself. He remembered being slightly disappointed because no one ever really needed saving, at least not on his shift. So it was boring, but he accepted that as a good thing. Like getting paid to watch them swim and occasionally watch over the local children’s swim classes. He’d sat through lifeguard training at that point so it was worth it to stick around.

Sebastian shook his head before he got distracted any further and turned to Leslie. “Alright, let’s get those clothes off so we can wash them.”

“Okay…” Leslie looked a little uneasy, though, the way he gripped protectively at the worn fabric.

“Don’t worry. Laundry doesn’t take too long,” Sebastian said with a smile, as he gently ruffled Leslie’s hair. “We can find something to do while we wait. Maybe drawing? Or I can read you a story, if you’d like.”  
“Storytime? Velveteen rabbit?” Leslie said, his eyes glistening happily.

“If you like that story, yes. I can read it to you.”

“Happy!”

Sebastian stepped closer, smiling down at Leslie and trying not to be intimidating, as he was quite a bit taller than the other when Leslie was constantly hunched over in his usual way. “But you have to change first. Okay?”

“Okay.” Some of Leslie’s previous unease had dissipated, which made Sebastian glad. Progress was being made, slowly but surely, as he’d thought. Things might not be so difficult after all… If only they’d continue going this smoothly things would be a lot more manageable.

“Now just raise your arms up like this,” Sebastian said, raising his own arms up to demonstrate, “So I can take off your shirt. You can do that, right, Leslie?”

“Right.” To prove himself, he gradually raised his arms over his head and Sebastian moved carefully to pull the fabric up and off of the other’s arms.

“All done! See, that wasn’t so bad…” Sebastian offered another smile as he dropped the shirt into the washing machine. “Now all that’s left is your pants. This might be a bit tricky, so bear with me.”

Leslie nodded, squirming around a bit at the unfamiliar feeling of cool air on his chest. There were a few healing bruises and small scabbed-over cuts on his chest, but Sebastian could tend to those later. As long as he stayed alright for now and didn’t try to scratch at them, which would probably reopen the wounds. While Leslie was getting used to the changes, Sebastian moved so he could tug at the loose pants, pulling them down so they were around Leslie’s ankles.

“Now comes the tricky part. We have to get your legs out of the pants. If you lean on me, you won’t fall over when we take the pants off.”

“Tricky…” Leslie muttered, but the look in his eyes made Sebastian know, he was continuing to trust the older man. Cautiously, Leslie reached up and braced his arms against Sebastian, who had leaned down enough that Leslie could reach from his position and still be somewhat comfortable.

Sebastian leaned down more so he could help Leslie step out of his pants. For a moment Sebastian thought Leslie would trip because he made a surprised gasp, but Sebastian moved forward enough to help Leslie stay balanced and that fixed the problem. Once the pants were off, Sebastian also dropped them into the top of the washing machine before finishing his preparations (such as setting the water to a warmer setting so it could potentially kill whatever germs that still resided in his clothing), and started it up. It wasn’t until after he’d started it up that he realized Leslie wasn’t wearing any underwear. Did they just have complete disregard for everything related to personal comfort back at that hellhole? The poor kid probably didn’t know any better, too. That would have to change…

At the sudden unexpected noise the washing machine made, Leslie flinched and started whimpering. “Loud… loud… it’s loud… scary, Sebastian…”

“Oh, Leslie, I’m sorry…” Sebastian turned around to face Leslie, feeling genuinely bad for him. “Come here, it’s alright. It’s just the noise it makes when it cleans your clothes, it’s not going to hurt you. I promise.” He held his arms out so he could hug Leslie, who quickly approached the other and leaned close enough for Sebastian to gently wrap his arms around him. “Here. I’ll get the sweater and we’ll go away from the scary noise…”

“…Okay…” When Sebastian let go of him, Leslie turned and quickly paced out of the laundry room, while Sebastian was a few steps behind him after reaching back to the dryer to grab the sweater. The two went back to the living room and Sebastian helped ease Leslie into the sweater while they were out there. It was way too big, despite being too small for Sebastian. It made Leslie look even smaller as his head and knees peeked out from under the bottom of the sweater, though his hands were near completely engulfed by the sleeves, leaving only the tips of his fingers showing.

“So,” Sebastian said, as he sat down on the couch and gestured for Leslie to sit with him, “About that story. Velveteen Rabbit, right?”

“Right! Bunnies.” Leslie nodded.

Sebastian glanced around his bookshelf for a moment and he finally found the collection of children’s stories that had survived the fire, since it had been sitting in Sebastian’s truck. After everything he still couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. He wouldn’t have known until now that it would be useful. The Velveteen Rabbit was the fourth story in, he still remembered, as it was one of Lily’s preferred bedtime stories. Even after all those years, the memory was still there…

Sebastian reached over and picked up the book, flipping to the desired chapter, before reading to Leslie as he would have many years ago to his own child. It was a nostalgic feeling, out of place, but nostalgic nonetheless. It was as if caring for Leslie had returned some of his former self to him. He was secretly grateful for that. Leslie listened along eagerly to the story, closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch, his fingers exploring the new feel of Sebastian’s sweater against his body. The way Leslie smiled... Sebastian knew that he'd finally done something good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **as you probably know I do not own The Velveteen Rabbit it's just mentioned here because it's part of the story haha. It's originally by Margery Williams, who (according to wikipedia pff) published it in 1922. Daaaang...**


	2. Promises

By the time Sebastian had finished reading the story to Leslie, he could tell Leslie was starting to doze off. Leslie was still leaned back against the couch, eyes closed, his breathing soft but visible through the bulky fabric of the sweater. Both hands gripped at his shirt but it was more an expression of his comfort now.

Sebastian closed the book and set it on the table beside him. He’d put it away later. For now, Sebastian decided to watch over Leslie. He almost looked peaceful, the way he relaxed against the worn-out sofa.

While Leslie slept, Sebastian decided to finish doing the laundry, so Leslie would have something good to wake up to. As carefully as he could, Sebastian shifted and stood up, trying not to move the cushions too much. It didn’t hurt to be careful, even if Leslie was probably sleeping like a rock. He probably hasn’t slept in so long, he would be out for a while. Catching up on sleep would be good, for both of them. But Sebastian still had things to do.

During the time Sebastian busied himself with the laundry, he called Joseph again. Some time had passed and he wanted to check on his partner and make sure everything was going smoothly on his end.

Joseph picked up halfway through the second ring. “Hey, Seb.”

“Hey, Joseph. How’s everything going?”

“Could be better, but it’s not bad. Oh, I’m supposed to tell you, you have to come up here and answer questions. There’s some guys here investigating what went down at Beacon. They probably won’t believe a word you say—believe me, I’ve had my share of fun trying to explain it—but maybe when they have all the pieces together it’ll seem less farfetched.”

“Maybe.” Sebastian sighed. He really didn’t want to set foot back at headquarters right now because Leslie was his top priority at the moment. “What am I supposed to do with Leslie?”

“Hm? I don’t know. I mean, I could watch him…” Joseph’s tone rang with uneasiness. Between the two of them, Sebastian was always the better one with kids, since he’d had one of his own. Any time a small child got near him, Joseph wouldn’t know what to do first. If any particular case required being around children Joseph would try his best to act professional, nearly forgetting that a friendly approach is important. He learned quickly you could never treat a child the same way as an adult, or you wouldn’t get the information you needed. Yet, Sebastian always found a way to help any kids they encountered. It was in his blood, after all.

“You sure you can handle it?” Sebastian chuckled. “I don’t know…”

“It’s either me, or some unprepared neighborhood babysitter. Take your pick,” Joseph replied, trying to make a point.

“Right, right… Anyway, when do they want me up there? I want to make sure Leslie’s comfortable here before I try to leave him with someone he doesn’t know as well. He trusts me, and if I wasted that trust by leaving him so soon—that wouldn’t make sense, would it? I’ll have to let Leslie know what’s going to happen, and try to help him understand. I’m definitely not leaving him with a stranger. They wouldn’t know how to take care of him…”

“Exactly my point, Seb. The investigators want you to come by later today, so they can talk to you alone. I have to leave, so I can just go over to your place and stay with Leslie while you’re gone. The actual interview itself shouldn’t take but an hour or so. It depends on how early they give up on you,” Joseph added with a bitter laugh.

Sebastian shrugged. “Alright. I’ll see you at five, then?” That would give Joseph enough time to finish things with the department and get over to his apartment.

“Five. Sure…” Joseph said. “See you then.”

“Yeah. See you,” Sebastian replied before hanging up and pocketing his phone. By now the laundry was mostly done. He took the clothes out of the dryer and looked them over. They were still stained and tarnished, but it was a little less noticeable now. You could actually see a little bit of white in the fabric now. After removing them from the dryer, Sebastian folded them neatly and laid them on top of the dresser. It occurred to Sebastian that he’d have to go buy Leslie some underwear so he wouldn’t be stuck running around in just a shirt and pants. He’d do that after getting lectured by the interviewers at the department… which sounded like a lot of fun, judging by the way Joseph answered the phone the second time. It sounded like nothing but a lot of going-in-circles and constant repetitive explanation. Great.

From the other room, Sebastian heard Leslie moving around frantically, shuffling noises easily heard through the walls of Sebastian’s small apartment.

“Sebastian? …Sebastian?” came the soft cries from the living room.

Sebastian walked out from the laundry room and went over to Leslie, who was perched on the couch. “Yes, Leslie? I’m right here, I didn’t leave.”

When Leslie caught sight of Sebastian, he smiled a little. “Sebastian…”

“Did you have a good nap?” Sebastian asked as he sat down in his previous spot on the couch, smiling softly at the boy.

“Good, good.” Leslie nodded eagerly. He did look a little less tired.

The older man turned to look at Leslie, meeting his eyes for a moment. “Leslie, I want to tell you something.”

“What…?” Leslie leaned a little closer, fidgeting his hands against the sweater nervously. There was a sense of fear in his gaze that Sebastian understood. The fear of bad news…

“I have to go run errands for a while. I’ll be gone, but only for a little while.” Sebastian thought for a moment. “You remember Joseph, right? He’s a really good friend of mine. He can watch you while I’m away. I’ll be back before you know it, and if you’re good, I’ll bring you a present when I come back.”

Leslie looked confused as he took in all the information. “Sebastian, gone? Is leaving Leslie with… Joseph?”

“Yes. Will you be alright?”

“Alright…” Leslie glanced away, fidgeting more noticeably now. “Leslie… will be alone… but with Joseph. Joseph is... nice?”

“Very. I trust him a lot. He will keep you safe.” Sebastian moved so he could rest one hand on Leslie’s trembling hands, the other he set on Leslie’s head, to ruffle his hair gently.

“Trust.” Leslie’s face still showed apprehension but his desire to trust Sebastian overrode it in the end. So far any bits of 'trust' he'd allowed Sebastian were honored, so Leslie felt a lot more comfortable around him, and did his best to show it. “Sebastian will come back?”

“I won’t leave you alone, Leslie. I promise.”

“Promise…” Leslie muttered the word as if it was unfamiliar, but smiled a little despite that, and reached up to touch the side of Sebastian’s face. “Good. Leslie… will trust Sebastian’s promise.”


	3. Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian comes home and brings presents (and groceries) so they can make dinner.

Joseph arrived at Sebastian’s apartment some time later and Sebastian let him inside. His partner, as always, slid off his shoes and deposited them by the front door before continuing further inside. Even still, he’d kept this formality. That was something that Sebastian found strange, even if it was just Joseph being Joseph.

When Leslie heard Joseph enter the house he scrambled to hide behind Sebastian.

“Leslie, it’s just Joseph. He’s going to stay with you while I’m away.” Sebastian shrugged and looked back at Leslie, and then glanced to Joseph, who didn’t look too thrilled to be there. At least this was better than nothing, for either of them.

“Joseph,” Leslie called cautiously as he peeked out from his safe place behind Sebastian’s back.

“Yes, hi,” Joseph said awkwardly, giving the white-haired boy a small wave. “So, let’s go find something to do… I’m sure there’s some paper and crayons for coloring around here. Do you like to draw?”

“Draw? Crayons… are colorful. Colorful is good.”

With Leslie successfully distracted, Sebastian nodded his thanks to Joseph and slipped quietly out the door. He still wasn’t so sure about leaving Leslie with Joseph, on either of their parts, but again—at least Joseph knew somewhat how Leslie behaved, and could figure something out eventually. The coloring was a good idea. Art did have therapeutic qualities, after all.

Sebastian returned to his apartment some time later, opening the door with a soft sigh. He’d listened to the interviewers’ bullshit for an hour and then got stuck in traffic on the way home from the grocery store. Leslie now had new underwear, which was good… also, he had to buy more food now that he had a guest of sorts. Sebastian also picked up a little stuffed bunny for him, since he saw it sitting on the shelf and he couldn’t resist not buying it. Leslie would definitely like it. Despite the whole day feeling incredibly long and draining, as long as he went home at the end of it things would be alright.

“Sebastian!” Two voices called his name at once, Joseph’s tone full of relief, and Leslie’s a happy little shout.

“Hey, I’m back.” Sebastian smiled when Leslie ran out from the other room to greet him, soon eyeing the shopping bags Sebastian held in his hand with curiosity.

“Sebastian brought Leslie presents?” Leslie asked, with a smile.

“That’s right, I did.” Sebastian opened the bag and pulled out the stuffed bunny, handing it to Leslie who made a pleased noise.

“Yay! It’s fluffy. And cute. Thank you, thank you…”

The kid looked so happy, and it made Sebastian happy too. Like happiness was contagious, and he could use every bit of it right now. “You’re welcome. I thought you’d like it.”

While Leslie waddled off to go play with his newly-acquired stuffed animal, Sebastian looked over to Joseph, who had also walked out into the main hallway to greet him. He looked exhausted, but it was probably Leslie’s excessive energy getting to him.

“Hey, everything go alright?”

“Well,” Joseph said with a shrug, “Leslie seemed to enjoy himself coloring, and he has quite a few drawings I set on the table. Maybe you’ll hang them on your fridge? Also we made lunch.” Joseph chuckled.

“You didn’t give him any of that seaweed shit, did you, Jo?” Sebastian gave Joseph a look.

His partner rolled his eyes jokingly and crossed his arms. “No, I didn’t. Even if it’s good for you. At least he’d probably try it, unlike you. You’re too stubborn to do much of anything I ask.”

Now Sebastian crossed his arms, leaning against one of the nearby walls. “Yes, I do. I tried that stuff once and I regret it. Didn’t think I’d ever get that damn ocean taste out of my mouth.”

Joseph laughed again. “We keep arguing like an old married couple, don’t we? What is this?”

“Years of partnership, I bet.” Sebastian shrugged. He and Joseph were definitely close. Maybe closer than some of the other detective partners, but it just meant they worked incredibly well together, despite their different personalities. They said opposites attract, and Sebastian figured whoever came up with that does deserve some credit. There had been nights in the past where Sebastian didn’t think he’d be able to go anywhere, and yet Joseph was always there to help him up and support him. Maybe they were like an old married couple, after all. Sebastian never really thought about it. They’d never done anything that really qualifies as ‘romantic,’ or had ‘a date’ before, but since everything that happened at Beacon—not that he wanted to remember—he’d felt the strong need to keep Joseph closer to him. And Leslie as well. He had to keep them safe. They were all he really had left now. Those two would be as close to a real family he’d have again.

“Yeah, maybe.” Joseph sighed softly and put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. It was a simple gesture, but coming from him it meant a lot.

“Hey, Joseph?” Sebastian asked, glancing up at his partner. “Would you… like to stay for dinner? It’s a little late, and I did just buy some groceries… as long as the stove complies we’re in good shape.”

Joseph seemed a little caught off guard by Sebastian’s question, but nodded slowly. “Sure, I don’t see why not. And the stove didn’t seem to have any problems, if that’s what you’re thinking—we used it when we made lunch earlier.”

“Maybe it just likes you,” Sebastian chuckled, putting his own hand on his partner’s shoulder. They stood there like that for a long few moments, watching each other. The way Joseph’s eyes trailed over his face, watching for any change of expression… he could tell Joseph was worried, but he didn’t want to say anything out loud about it. On his lips was just the slightest hint of a frown, but it wasn’t really directed at him. If it was, Sebastian would know. Joseph usually made his anger known, if it was focused at Sebastian.

“So, dinner?” Joseph said quickly, pulling away after he realized he’d been staring. “What did you buy? I’ll help cook, if you want.”

“I just got some stuff to make chicken soup. Figured it would be a simple enough thing, and it wouldn’t be too hard for Leslie to eat. The more the merrier, I guess, I could use the help.”

“Hm.” Joseph nodded. “Sounds good.”

“Let’s get started, then?” Sebastian suggested, as he gestured toward the kitchen. “Shouldn’t take too long to make.”

“Sounds like fun…” Joseph smiled, the happiness returned to his expression.

For now, as long as they kept their minds off of everything, it’d be alright. There would be a time where things would have to be discussed, and maybe then Sebastian would be ready to face it. But for now, he was happy with this comfortable distraction.


	4. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie, Joseph, and Sebastian make soup and have discussions at the dinner table.

Sebastian walked into the kitchen with Joseph to get started on the soup, when he got an idea. He set his bag down on the counter and turned around for a moment.

“Leslie?” he called.

“Sebastian?” Leslie poked his head into the kitchen and Sebastian could see Leslie was still holding his bunny plush.

“Would you like to help us make dinner?”

Leslie nodded and walked over to stand between Sebastian and Joseph. He smiled widely, showing his slightly chipped tooth. “Yes! Helping. Leslie would like to help… Sebastian and Joseph with dinner.”

“Alright, then, let’s get cooking.” Sebastian leaned down and fished out a large soup pot from one of his cabinets and Joseph began to sift through the grocery bag to see what Sebastian had bought. Chicken broth mix, orzo pasta, some chicken, along with some potatoes, carrots, peas, and celery. He really had gone all out buying food, as he’d said. Joseph set out everything on the counter in order and inspected it when he finished.

“You have a recipe?” Joseph asked, after looking around for a moment.

“Eh.” Sebastian shrugged as he brought the pot over to the sink to fill it with water to make the pasta. “I’m just gonna wing it. I’ve made soup enough times to know I don’t need one.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

Leslie watched Sebastian fill the pot with water and squirmed a bit in impatience. “When can Leslie help?”

“You can help me with the vegetables. I’ll cut them small so it’ll be easier to eat. You can help by picking up the pieces and putting them in bowls. Think you can do that?”

The boy nodded eagerly. “Leslie can help!”

“Alright. Joseph, if you want to add in the broth stuff, the directions should be on the side of it. Otherwise you can just eyeball it. It’s nearly impossible to mess up making soup, don’t you think?” Sebastian laughed.

“I’ve heard stories,” Joseph replied with a quiet chuckle.

The preparations went by quickly, with Joseph watching the soup and adding spices while Sebastian sliced the various vegetables and Leslie put them in bowls to be later added to the pot. Once they had finished, the three of them sat down at the kitchen table. Joseph was at one end, Sebastian at the other, and Leslie sitting between them, on Sebastian’s left side. All that was left to do now was wait.

Joseph leaned one elbow against the table and propped his chin on his palm. Sebastian sat with his arms crossed, but it was more of a comfortable position than one of anger. Leslie dangled his feet off the chair, swinging them cheerfully.

“So, dinner will be ready? And soup is good,” Leslie said, “Real food. Real food is also good.”

Sebastian nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Also, Leslie?”

“Sebastian?” Leslie watched Sebastian curiously as he continued to swing his legs occasionally.

“If you want to… would you like to stay here?”

“Leslie can… stay? Forever? Leslie has… a home now?”

Sebastian leaned over so he could put a hand on Leslie’s head. Joseph seemed a bit confused at Sebastian’s sudden question, but in the end nodded and went along with it. Sebastian knew what he was getting into, and maybe it was a better idea after all, if they stayed together. It would be too hard for Leslie to try and leave right now. To Joseph, the two becoming a family just made sense. The three of them, even, with Joseph watching out for both of them. Someone had to keep them in line, after all.

“Leslie has a home now. With me.”

“Daddy… Sebastian?” Leslie muttered innocently, hands trailing across the lifeguard sweater as he spoke.

At that Sebastian felt himself falter for a moment. It had been too long since he’d heard anyone call him their father, and it made his heart ache. “I… well… I—”

Joseph chimed in after he saw Sebastian’s change in expression, trying to change the subject. “I guess that makes me Uncle Jojo again, doesn’t it?”

“Uncle Jojo? I like Uncle Jojo.” Leslie smiled.

“Alright, it’s settled, then.”

The timer for the soup went off and Sebastian was thankful for the new distraction. He got up, pulled out some bowls from his cabinets along with a soup ladle and scooped a little bit of the soup into a bowl for each of them. Afterward he grabbed three spoons and set them back down on the table. On the second trip from the kitchen counter he came back with the bowls, setting one down in front of Leslie and Joseph before returning again to grab his own.

“Be careful, it’s very hot,” Joseph said as he watched Leslie reach for his spoon.

“Hot, very hot,” Leslie repeated, nodding his head as he watched some steam rise from the bowl. “Hot. Ow.”

“Don’t want to burn yourself. You just have to wait for it to cool down. Or you can blow on it.”

Leslie blinked and then tried to blow on it but blew too hard and a few drops splashed against his hand. “Hot! Hot!”

“Please be careful,” Joseph said, resting a hand on Leslie to see if he was alright.

“Ow…”

Sebastian shrugged and stood, walking over to the kitchen. He opened the freezer, pulled out two ice cubes, and plopped them down into Leslie’s soup bowl. “There! Now it should cool off faster.”

Leslie smiled and twirled his spoon around in the soup, watching the ice cubes twirl around with the vegetables as they melted. “Ooh…”

“Alright, well, I think we’ve done enough waiting. Let’s eat!” Sebastian said as he put a spoonful of soup in his mouth. It tasted a lot better than he’d remembered. But then he thought about it. Food always tasted better when it was cooked with people you loved. It was just part of the fun of cooking.

Joseph also drank some of the soup and smiled. “Wow, this is great. I can’t believe I’ve never tried making it like this before.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Thanks… even if it was just kind of thrown together. I do think it’s a good recipe.”

After watching them eat their soup, Leslie carefully took his own spoon from the bowl, trying not to spill the soup it as he brought it to his lips. A few drops spilled over the sides but he managed to get most of it in his mouth and keep it off of the shirt.

Sebastian thought, it was good to see his coordination was improving. It still needed some work, but for now, Sebastian was pretty impressed. Probably just being out of the environment Leslie had been stuck in had started helping him. It was obvious that what he’d been living through had been the exact opposite of “helpful.”

Leslie continued eating his soup, some of it falling off the spoon again, but he eventually made things work and as a result made a few pleased noises. “Leslie… ah… Leslie likes the soup. It is good.”

“I’m glad. It is pretty good. And the best part is, we made enough that we can have leftovers if you want some tomorrow.”

“Leftovers? Leftovers. Sounds good.” Leslie nodded eagerly after eating another spoonful of soup. He really was happy living like this. He was comfortable, for the first time in a while, and he felt like he finally had something new he could grow to love and trust. He could start over again, with Sebastian and Joseph. And he really looked forward to that.

“Alright, I’ll be sure to save it, then,” Sebastian said, chuckling. “We could have it for breakfast.”

“Yay!”

Joseph also chuckled. “Looks like you guys have things all worked out… I’m glad.” He had finished eating his soup and placed the spoon back into the bowl before carrying it into the kitchen and placing it in the sink. “Well, I think I should get going… I still have some work things to settle out…”

“You can’t stay?” Sebastian said, feeling slightly disappointed. He knew he’d also have to return to work, but he’d have to explain everything about Leslie again. And he really didn’t want to. “Are you sure?”

Joseph nodded uneasily. He was still getting used to the new arrangements they’d had and it was odd enough being by himself for so long in his own very empty-feeling apartment, but he couldn’t think too much about it. He had to keep his job, and help Sebastian keep his while he was away. He had more than enough leave time, since he rarely took days off voluntarily (usually he’d been drinking too much…) and therefore had plenty of vacation days to spare. “Yeah. I mean, if you want me to come back after work, I can.”

“That, um… sounds good.” Sebastian shrugged. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” He wanted to know why Joseph was acting so nervous but he figured it was just from the past week and it was understandable. He had Leslie to worry about too, and he at least knew Joseph was capable of taking care of himself. Especially if he was ready enough to get back to work. Of course, Joseph was the type of man who worked best when distracted with an important thing, such as work. Which Sebastian also understood. He too used work as an escape, maybe more than he should have.

“Goodbye, goodbye, Uncle Jojo,” Leslie said, giving Joseph a joyful wave.

Joseph nodded back at them before walking out into the hallway and putting his shoes on so he could leave the apartment and go home.

“Uncle Jojo is worried. He is upset?” Leslie muttered to Sebastian after Joseph left the house.

“I’m not sure, Leslie, but I think he knows what he’s doing. I trust him, after all.”

“Trust…”

“Yeah.” Sebastian nodded and Leslie smiled at him. “Now, let’s finish up dinner so we can go do other things.”

“Other things! Like… story time?”

“Alright. But you have to eat a little bit more of your soup.”

“Okay. Leslie will eat it,” he said with a slight pout, but ate the soup anyway, since he really enjoyed it. In all honesty he just wanted to hear Sebastian read more stories. Something about his voice was soothing to him, which made Leslie very happy.

“And then story time.”

“Yay! And maybe… Leslie… can tell Sebastian a story this time?”

Sebastian nodded. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”

“Yay! Story time, story time…”


	5. Bedtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie tells Sebastian a story that makes just the right amount of sense...

Sometime later, Leslie and Sebastian returned to the couch in the living room. Earlier Sebastian had opened his fridge, found himself reaching for a beer but instead grabbed a bottle of water. He didn’t need it this time, he had someone to take care of who needed him. Sebastian sipped at the water boredly, but he looked forward to another round of story time to keep his mind off of things. It would be a bad idea to think about anything except for the story he was about to hear. It would be a good distraction.

“So, what kind of story are you going to tell me?” Sebastian asked.

“I… I can tell you… a good story. Once upon a time,” Leslie said, closing his eyes as if he was imagining himself as a part of the story, “Once upon a time, there was… a Leslie. And the Leslie, walked around in a forest. It was dark and scary. Leslie thought, Leslie might get hurt if he stayed there. But, where was out? Leslie walked and walked, walked all around, and he got really sad.”

Sebastian listened carefully as Leslie spoke, waiting to see how the story would go. He leaned back against the couch, resting his head against the back, as he listened.

“But, the Leslie saw… a deer. Mister Deer came up to the Leslie and asked him if he was lost. And the Leslie said yes, because he was lost. So Leslie asked Mister Deer, “Can Deer help?” and Deer said yes. And then it got bright and Leslie could see, and there was the sun, and the forest wasn’t scary. And Leslie and Deer walked out of the forest together. Leslie thanked Mister Deer and then, Leslie went home. And lived happily ever after. Sometimes Leslie would see Deer around, if Leslie was lost. Because Mister Deer was helpful, he had been lost once too. It is sad, but Mister Deer helped the lost people because maybe one day, Mister Deer would find his home too. So Mister Deer and Leslie were happy. The End.”

Sebastian smiled when Leslie finished.

“Did Sebastian… like Leslie’s story?” Leslie looked up at Sebastian nervously, messing with his jacket as he sat there.

“Yeah. That was a really good story.” Sebastian nodded, reaching over to ruffle Leslie’s hair playfully. “I liked it a lot.”

Leslie started bouncing excitedly in place. “Yay! Sebastian likes Leslie’s story, and Leslie is happy. If Sebastian is happy, Leslie is happy too. It is not fun when you are sad. Sad is bad. So Leslie will tell stories to make Sebastian happy.” After a moment, Leslie stopped bouncing and looked back at Sebastian, a more thoughtful gaze in his eyes as one hand slowly reached up to touch the other’s scarred face. “Leslie will do his best to be good, so Sebastian doesn’t worry. If Sebastian and Joseph… have jobs that help people, like Sebastian helped Leslie… Leslie feels bad, for keeping Sebastian here.”

So he had picked up on the fact that Sebastian had been trying not to think about work, but it must’ve been showing on his face. Leslie was a lot more attentive than he seemed. It was true, he did have to go back at some point, but right now he wanted to focus on making sure Leslie was alright.

“Leslie is big. Can take care of house, while Sebastian is gone. Leslie can watch out the window for bad guys! And not let strangers in. Strangers are bad.”

Sebastian nodded again. “That’s right. I… I don’t know if I want to leave you alone just yet. Actually… How would you like to come to work with me? I only have to be there for a little while. Just to get a few things done. There is a room at work, with lots of coloring things and toys, so you can stay busy. There is lots of good people there, too, who will make sure you stay safe.”

“Safe. Leslie trusts Sebastian. And work is good.” Leslie said quietly. His hand was still against Sebastian’s cheek, and it was warm and full of life. Like the boy he’d first seen wasn’t even the same person any more. He’d gotten stronger, there was more color to his face, and even his eyes seemed a little brighter. He really was happy with Sebastian.

“But right now, it’s late. We have a lot of things to do tomorrow, so let’s get ready for bed.”

“Okay.” At the mention of bedtime, Leslie found himself yawning. “Oh, Leslie must be tired.”

Sebastian caught himself in the middle of a yawn too. “It’s been a long day for everyone. It’ll be good to sleep... Let’s go get you ready for bed, okay? You can sleep in a really comfy bed now.”

“Leslie wants to see!” Leslie stood slowly and Sebastian followed, standing and stepping down the hallway so he could open the door to his former guest bedroom and snap on the light. It was somewhat bare, with only a bed and a dresser pushed off to one side, a chair at the other corner, but Leslie seemed to like it anyway, making a pleased noise as he sat down on the bed, letting his hands sink into the plush mattress. “It is nice. Comfy.”

“I don’t have any pajamas, unfortunately, but—ah, I almost forgot,” Sebastian said, “I have to grab something. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay!”

Sebastian paced out into the hallway where he’d left the bag with Leslie’s new underwear and fished them out, unwrapping one and bringing it back to the bedroom, where Leslie was waiting patiently.

“Here, let’s get these on…” Sebastian said as he gestured to Leslie so he could help.

“Can Leslie… try on his own?” Leslie asked suddenly, reaching for the underwear, the new expression on his face showing how hard he wanted to demonstrate to Sebastian he could take care of himself.

“You want to try? Sure, I guess. Just be careful,” Sebastian said as he let Leslie take the underwear from him. Leslie had some difficulty trying to get his legs in the right holes but with a little bit of guidance from Sebastian (before Leslie made a few quiet protests) he had on the new underwear. After he finished putting them on he wriggled around a little, trying to get used to the new clothes. They were soft, but after wearing only pants for so long it was strange to him.

“Wow, you did it. I’m impressed.”

“Leslie, can do things! See, see?” He smiled widely, proud of himself.

“Yeah, I see.” Sebastian smiled and patted Leslie’s shoulder. “Alright, you, it’s time to go to bed now.”

“Bedtime!”

While Leslie slid off the bed, Sebastian pulled back the thick blanket from the place it had been tucked against the mattress and Leslie immediately burrowed inside, until only his head was sticking out. Sebastian carefully tucked the covers into place around Leslie, although he made sure he still had enough room to move around. Once he was done, Sebastian sat down at the edge of the bed and smiled down at Leslie. Leslie smiled back at him.

“Goodnight, goodnight, Sebastian…”

“Goodnight, Leslie.” Sebastian ruffled Leslie’s hair once more before standing up and walking over to the light so he could turn it off. Leslie sounded upset the next time he made a sound, and Sebastian glanced back to him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Leslie had his arms raised outward to Sebastian, in the gesture for wanting a hug.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Sebastian muttered as he walked back over. He sat back down on the corner of the bed so he could lean down and Leslie pulled Sebastian into a tight hug. Sebastian hugged Leslie back and they sat like that for a long few moments before Leslie finally let go and Sebastian moved off the bed again.

“Okay. Okay… goodnight, Sebastian…” Leslie mumbled drowsily, pulling the blankets around himself.

“Goodnight…” Sebastian slipped quietly out the door, but left it cracked and made sure to leave the hallway light on in case Leslie needed it and so he wouldn’t be left in a completely dark room. When he was sure Leslie would be okay like that, Sebastian went to his own bedroom, slipped off his clothes and changed into an old undershirt and clean pair of underwear before flopping onto the bed and nearly immediately falling asleep. Once he laid down in his bed he finally realized just how tired he was.


	6. Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Sebastian both have nightmares...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (be prepared for lots of feels~)

Sebastian had drifted off eventually, dreaming about many things that all ended up jumbled together. In his dream he saw deer, he saw Leslie chasing after them happily, laughing in that soft, quiet way… but soon Leslie turned to Sebastian and he saw, Leslie’s face was sad. He was crying. Something was very wrong, and then Sebastian realized, Leslie was bleeding. He was crying, and blood was dripping freely from his eyes where the tears should have been. Leslie was wearing nothing, but the trail of blood spread down his thin body and covered his entire form in a very painful-looking tint of scarlet. Sebastian wanted to run to him, to ask what was wrong, but words escaped him and his legs just wouldn’t move. Like he was stuck in place by his own shadow… watching Leslie bleed there in front of him with nothing he could do about it. And Sebastian didn’t want to admit how terrifying that was.

“…Sebastian? Sebastian…” Came a small series of mutters along with a quick shake to his side, which thankfully easily pulled Sebastian out of the very unpleasant dream he’d been having. Sebastian stirred in his state of half-awakeness and rolled over, opening one eye to see Leslie clinging to his shirt, tears in his eyes. Real tears. Not blood.

After sparing a glance to his clock, noticing that it was 3 a.m. and sighing internally, he sat up enough so he could be more awake to talk. He was glad to see that the visions in his dream were only that, even if it took him a long few seconds of staring at Leslie, looking him over, to make sure he was the real thing and not just another dream.

“What is it, Leslie?” Sebastian said in a low voice, too tired to speak any louder.

“Nightmare. Scary things…” Leslie said, tugging softly on Sebastian’s shirt. He could tell Leslie was shaking, so Sebastian pulled him into a gentle hug and rubbed his back. Leslie let out a small sob and clung to the other, just glad to be sharing his company.

“It’s okay, Leslie. It was only a bad dream. Dreams can’t hurt you.” Sebastian said quietly, trying to comfort him and make him stop crying. “It’ll be okay. I’m here. It was just a dream.”

Leslie shook his head, trying to wipe some stray tears away. “Scary things were chasing Leslie! Teeth, and claws, and creepy… Monsters! Monsters… scary…”

Sebastian sighed and then began to speak, realizing that his decisions earlier might not have been the best ones, for either of them. “If it would help… you could sleep with me. It was probably a bad idea to make you sleep alone… I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t really thinking straight.”

“No, Leslie liked the bed! It was nice. But…” Leslie also sighed, in the same way Sebastian had, but climbed into the bed when Sebastian pulled his blankets back enough to let Leslie in. “Sebastian knows how to keep the bad things away. Protects Leslie. Protects Leslie from the scary things and the bad people.” The small boy curled up against Sebastian’s chest, laying by Sebastian in an almost-fetal-position, and Sebastian wrapped an arm around him to keep him close. Leslie smiled softly.

“I’ll protect you. From all of the bad dreams. It’s… my job, after all. I’m, well… I guess I really am like your dad now.”

“Daddy, Sebastian,” Leslie said again, nuzzling against Sebastian.

“But you don’t have to call me your father. I can just be Sebastian to you.” There was a long moment of silence before Sebastian finally decided to speak up again. “Did I ever tell you… I had a child once?”

“Sebastian had a child? Was a dad, for real?” The innocence in Leslie’s question almost hurt. “Had… a family?”

“I did. I had a daughter. But… something bad happened a very long time ago, and I lost her. And I also lost her mother. My wife…”

“Leslie knows, how it feels to lose family. Leslie lost his parents too. There was a bad man, and he… he hurt them, and they cried and they bled, and they hurt Leslie, too. It was a bad day. Leslie… maybe Leslie died too. Leslie’s happy died.”

“Oh, Leslie, what are you talking about..?” Sebastian said, the sadness in his voice only briefly shining through as he kept a protective arm around the thin boy. “I know, it’s not good to lose family. No one should ever have to live through that. I loved mine so much, but… now, I have to think carefully. I have you, and I have Joseph. You are my new family. We might not be related, as most families are, but we watch out for each other. We care about each other. I’ve become happy, now that I know I have people I connect with.”

“A long time ago… Sebastian’s happy died too?”

Sebastian thought, then gave a small nod. “Maybe… maybe it did. But it’s okay, because I can start over. You and I, we can start over together, learning how to be happy again. And of course I’ll always be here for you, whenever you need me. I’ll make you happy for as long as I can.”

“We can grow happy? Like flowers?” Leslie mused.

“Yeah, like that. Just imagine, a whole field full of seeds. They’re just seeds in dirt right now, but one day after a lot of care and patience it’ll be a field full of beautiful, colorful flowers that many people will enjoy. But the people who will be the most proud of it are the gardeners. The ones who planted the seeds. They put so much affection into them, but only when the flowers bloom can everyone see how much their love blossomed.”

“Leslie likes flowers,” he said, smiling tiredly as he finally started to fall back asleep. “Colorful… and pretty…”

“Now, go to sleep, alright, Leslie? It’s very late.” Sebastian smiled and ran a hand through Leslie’s slightly tangled-up hair.

“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (you're welcome c; )


	7. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Leslie prepare for the day ahead.

Sebastian had gone to sleep only after he was sure Leslie was asleep. It seemed that being close to Sebastian helped him relax, and he slept through the night without having another nightmare. Unfortunately for Sebastian he couldn’t say the same. There was so much confrontation in his head it kept manifesting in his dreams in very unpleasant visions. Dreams where he lost Joseph, he lost himself, where he continued running through an endless hallway, the walls closing in on him until he couldn’t move, suffocating him in his own mind. Why couldn’t his mind just let up for a moment and let him be happy? He finally thought things were coming back together…

“Sebastian?” Leslie said worriedly, putting a hand over Sebastian’s heart and laying it there, feeling the rapid beating beneath his palm. Sebastian opened one eye and tried not to stir too much.

“Hm? What is it, Leslie?”

“Bad dream?”

Sebastian shook his head, then shifted enough so he could see his alarm clock. “No, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it, alright?” At least he’d gotten some sleep after all. It was now seven in the morning, and that meant Sebastian had to get ready soon. He wasn’t planning on coming in to work until 11, so he had plenty of time to get himself and Leslie ready, and eventually battle his way through the usual Krimson morning traffic. “We should get up soon. Remember, we have things to do.”

“Okay.” Leslie sighed and snuggled against Sebastian. “It’s warm here. And nice. Does Leslie have to get up?”

“Yes, but we can wait a little longer, if you want.” Sebastian smiled and arranged the blankets around Leslie so he could bundle up under them. “But we both have to be clean before we go to work. I’ll probably just shower, but if you want, you can take a bath?” He wasn’t sure how Leslie would react, Sebastian figured himself… at least his shower wasn’t reminiscent of that awful porcelain thing he’d spent too many lost hours of his life in. His shower curtains were much too tacky (an awful green and tan with a rose print) to suggest something horrible. Maybe it vouched for the apartment’s sense of style, but that was about it.

“A bath? In a… bathtub.” Leslie closed his eyes and thought for a moment, and then a smile showed on his face. “But Leslie likes warm water. Because it’s warm. And Leslie… can have bubbles? Leslie likes bubbles very much. Bubbles… are happy.”

If that would do it, Sebastian smiled at the idea. “Sure. A bubble bath. Sounds like a plan. But, we still have to get up.”

In response Leslie rolled around beneath the covers in protest of that idea. “But Leslie is warm here. Too comfy. Don’t make Leslie get up now, or he will be cold…”

“But the bath water is warm too. And you can be clean,” Sebastian said, chuckling to himself as he watched Leslie pouting.

“Oh… Clean. Clean… that’s a good thing.” Leslie nodded thoughtfully.

“A very good thing,” Sebastian agreed, before finally sliding out from under his covers. “How about this. I’ll shower, and you can stay here in the warm bed. I won’t be too long.”

“Yay! Leslie can be comfy. And Sebastian can be clean, because… clean… you can smell good. Like flowers. Or bubbles.”

“Maybe not flowers, but I’ll probably smell better than I did.” Sebastian grabbed a clean change of clothes before opening his door. “I’ll be right back.”

“Leslie can wait here, for Sebastian. And be warm.” He nodded and resumed burrowing beneath the blankets.

Sebastian’s shower took longer than he thought, mostly because he had forgotten how good hot water felt against his skin. For all he knew it might have been too hot, but it felt fantastic to wash everything off of his body. Like he could rid himself of the memories he’d lived with as he scrubbed at the dirt marks and bruises he’d sustained. And for the first time in a while he felt somewhat normal again. His hair would probably need to be cut at some point, given the way it strayed into his eyes every time he tried to scrub at it, but that would come later.

After he’d finished showering he turned off the water and stepped out, snatching up his towel so he could dry himself off. Once the air from outside the shower hit him he shivered but continued to dry himself off. He ruffled the towel against his hair and smirked when he caught a glance of himself in the slightly fogged mirror. He certainly looked better now, even if his hair was starting to go all over the place. So he fixed it with a comb and decided to let it dry that way. Quickly, he changed and made his way back to the bedroom, where he found Leslie with his head poking out of the blankets, and smiling up at the other.

“Sebastian is clean now?”

“Yep. And now it’s your turn. Come on, Leslie.”

“But Leslie is warm,” Leslie insisted, and Sebastian walked over to the bed, wearing a fake-serious expression on his face as he looked down at him.

“Leslie,” he said, using his ‘dad voice.’ He was surprised it was still buried in his mind somewhere, since he never thought he’d have to use it again, but the thought of it made him feel rather happy. Leslie pulled the blankets over his head in response, trying to hide himself.

“Leslie isn’t here. Leslie left.”

“Oh, well, I guess I have to go back to bed, then,” Sebastian said with a small smirk as he pulled the blankets back, revealing Leslie. “Aha! There you are.” He scooped up Leslie, who squirmed a bit, but laughed.

“No, Leslie can walk! Leslie is sorry for hiding,” he said through his chuckles, and Sebastian put him back down gently on the bed.

“Alright. You can help me make the bubbles for the bath too, since you’re getting up. How does that sound?”

“Leslie likes bubbles. Colorful, and cute.” Happily, Leslie nodded and got out of the bed. “Bathroom? Bathtub?” he asked after a moment.

Sebastian opened his bedroom door a little wider so Leslie could leave and Sebastian gestured to the bathroom door. “Right here.”

Leslie walked into the bathroom but before Sebastian could follow, Leslie closed the door on him.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked.

“Have to go. Bathroom. Sebastian can’t look.”

“Oh. Well, alright. I guess I’ll be out here. You gonna be okay in there?”

“Leslie is a big boy! He knows how to use the toilet. Trust Leslie, he is smart,” he said loudly past the door, over some noises of a struggle.

“Alright. I trust you.” It’s not like he had much of a choice so all he could do now was wait and see, and hope Leslie knew what he was doing. It was good he was exerting some will to be independent though, but it more depended on how everything turned out than anything else. That was the most important. Sebastian leaned against the wall and waited as Leslie spent his time in the bathroom. Everything seemed to be going well, there was no displeased noises, or sudden sounds of things being dropped. Which was good.

“How’s it going?” Sebastian asked, although the sound of Leslie flicking the toilet handle answered his question.

“Flush! Go away.” Leslie said. “Not working, Sebastian, it’s broken.”

“Did you try pressing down a little harder?” Sebastian asked, and then he heard the sound of the toilet flushing followed by a quiet little “oh” from Leslie. He sounded impressed. “Can I come in now?” he added after a moment, trying the door handle.

“Okay.” Leslie let Sebastian in, a grin spread wide across his face. “Leslie did it. See? Leslie knows. He knows!”

“Yeah, good job!” Sebastian said, impressed himself. “Alright, it’s bath time. Ready?”

Leslie nodded. “Bath time! Lots of warm water. Leslie can be clean like Sebastian, and then together… we can do things. Go outside. Go to work. Look at things.”

“Yeah.” Sebastian smiled. He really was growing fonder of Leslie as time went on. It took him a while to realize, but he really did feel like he was starting to love him. Leslie was really starting to feel like his child. Maybe it was the way they worked together, their personalities just clicked. They worked well with each other. It made Sebastian feel like he had a chance at becoming a parent again, and this time, he knew, he’d have to keep Leslie close and keep him safe. He didn’t want to lose anyone else.


	8. Bubbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's bath time for Leslie. With lots of bubbles!

Sebastian sat down on the edge of the bathtub so he could gesture to the faucet. “Alright. This is how you turn on the bathtub. You have to turn this lever here and it will make the water come out of the faucet. But you have to turn it to where the red is, or it will be cold. And it’s not fun to take a cold bath.”

“Ew.” Leslie nodded. Then, he sat down beside Sebastian on the tub and put his hand on the lever, carefully turning it. When some water came out he turned it more, to be on the warm water side as Sebastian had described. “Did Leslie do it right?”

“Yeah.” Gently, Sebastian guided Leslie’s hand toward the water beneath the faucet. It was a little too hot, so Sebastian adjusted it, put the stopper in the drain, and then smiled back up at Leslie. “See? Now all we have to do is wait for it to fill up.”

“Leslie did good,” he said happily, humming to himself. “Bath time, bath time, and lots of bubbles!”

“That’s right, I just have to see what I’ve got.” Shifting, Sebastian scooted off the edge of the bathtub and rummaged around in the cabinets beneath his sink until he found something he thought would work. It was an old bottle of shampoo that smelled something like a mix of pine and lavender. “Hey, do you like this?”

When Sebastian held out the open-topped bottle, Leslie leaned over so he could smell it. “Ooh. It smells like a forest. Forest bubbles? Sounds… like fun.”

Sebastian unscrewed the lid and set it on the sink top before gesturing to the bottle again. “Here. Want to pour it in?”

“Yes, yes!”

Eagerly, Leslie picked up the bottle and turned it over, so the shampoo poured slowly out of it and landed in the tub. While Leslie was doing that, Sebastian dipped his hand in the growing amount of water and swished it around, to help spread the bubbles.

“Alright, I think that’s enough bubbles for now, Leslie.” Now that the tub was mostly full, the bubbles had made a nice cover over them, like little mountains scattered across the water. It might have been too many bubbles but Sebastian figured, he’d let Leslie have fun this time around. Sebastian turned off the faucet after he thought there was enough water and bubbles.

“Aw. Bubbles, bubbles…”

“Alright, it’s bath time,” Sebastian said, rolling up his sleeves so he could keep them dry. “You gotta take your clothes off again, though. Can’t take a bath with clothes on.”

“Okay,” Leslie said, and fiddled with the sweatshirt. After a moment Sebastian leaned over to help Leslie pull it off, and then Leslie stood up and squirmed out of his underwear, making a proud face because he’d done something himself. “Bath time!”

Before Leslie got in the water Sebastian stuck his hand down beneath the layer of bubbles, like he was poking a hole in it, to test the water temperature. It was just the right temperature, a little on the hot side. It would cool off though, after a while, but the temperature of the water would be perfect now.

“Looks like you’re good to go,” Sebastian said. “Be careful getting in, it might be slippery.”

The white-haired boy smiled happily and sat at the edge of the tub, sticking his legs in the water first to test it himself.

“Warm. Warm and good,” he said with a nod, eventually sinking down the rest of the way into the tub so just the top half of his chest and head stuck out from the bubbles. With one hand he swished a few bubbles around in his hand and picked them up, watching the way the bubbles gathered there and stuck to his skin even if he flailed around. “Wow. Thank you, thank you, Sebastian. Bubbles, everywhere. Leslie is… very, very happy.”

“You’re welcome.” Sebastian smiled, and set to work scrubbing Leslie clean. He squirmed occasionally but the fact that there were many bubbles there to distract him won him over. Also Leslie knew that it would be nice to be clean, to not have dirt caught under his nails and to finally feel like a normal boy again. Feel like what he used to be, before he went to the hospital that changed everything. There, there were no bubble baths or hugs or story times, just tests and medicines and pain and nightmares every time he closed his eyes. Which is why Leslie was glad he had Sebastian now, who was like a father to him, who made sure he was healthy and clean and cared for him, worried about him if he was upset… it was the best thing Leslie could ask for in a million years, he thought.

“Alright,” Sebastian said after a while, picking up the same bottle of shampoo he’d used to make bubbles. “If we put this in your hair it’ll make your hair smell good.”

“Mm. Yay,” Leslie said, splashing around and messing with some bubbles that attached themselves to his left shoulder and spread across his chest making it look like he had a sort of half-shirt on. “Smell good.”

While Leslie kept occupied with the bubbles, Sebastian poured a little bit of the shampoo into his palm and then with his other hand, scooped up a bit of water a few times to wet Leslie’s hair down. After that he put the hand with the shampoo against Leslie’s head and ruffled his hair, spreading more bubbles against his head. Leslie giggled and squirmed, and Sebastian had to remind him to sit still so he didn’t get soap in his eyes.

“Close your eyes, I’ve got to wash out the shampoo. No peeking ‘til I say, alright?”

“Okay. No peeking.” Leslie closed his eyes and sat still, and Sebastian then washed out the shampoo out of Leslie’s hair, being careful to keep as much of it away from Leslie’s eyes as he could. 

After all of the shampoo was rinsed out, Sebastian grabbed his bottle of conditioner, since it was nearby, and put some in Leslie’s hair, scrubbing that around as well before dipping his hands in the bath water to wash them off. “Alright. All done. But I put conditioner in so we have to let that sit and then wash it out and then you’ll be done.”

“Leslie will smell good. Right?” he asked, one hand reaching up to touch his wet hair and feel the smooth texture of the conditioner against his head. “Ooh…”

“Yep.”

Suddenly, Sebastian got an idea. “Hey, Leslie, watch this.” He scooped up some bubbles into his palm and then shaped them around a bit until he had a small bubble-sculpture of sorts in his hand. “Look, it’s a snowman. Well, sort of.”

“Leslie wants to try!” Leslie also picked up some bubbles and moved them around in his hands, trying to get them to stick into some sort of shape. After a few moments he managed to have a little sculpture of his own. “It’s a rabbit.”

Sebastian smiled. “Wow. You really are a little artist, you know.”

“Leslie likes art. Art is fun. Art is bubbles?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not,” Sebastian said warmly. He was glad Leslie was enjoying himself. “Anything can be art, it just takes a creative eye to see so.”

“Then, Leslie is creative too?”

“Definitely.”

“Yay!”

“Alright, little artist, let’s finish up with bath time so we can go on other adventures. You can see where I work. What do you think?”

Leslie nodded, and Sebastian set to work washing the conditioner from his hair. “Work time is important.”

Once Sebastian had finished he grabbed a towel from the nearby shelf and reached down to undo the stop in the tub, so the water could drain. Leslie had already started to shiver as the water drained, so Sebastian turned on the showerhead and used that to help Leslie stay warm and also rinse off any leftover bubbles that stuck to him. After that, Sebastian turned off the water completely, helped Leslie out of the tub, and dried him off with the clean towel.

“Clean, Leslie is clean…” Leslie hummed contentedly as Sebastian dried him off.

“Let’s get dressed and go to work!” Sebastian said, after placing the towel aside to be put with the laundry later.

“Work! We can be helpful. You can be helpful, and Leslie can try. Leslie wants to be helpful like Sebastian and catch the bad people.”

Sebastian pulled Leslie into a gentle hug and then ruffled his damp hair. He was glad Leslie wanted to help, and he was sure, in his own way he probably would. Leslie always seemed to find a way to make things work in the end. “That sounds like a plan. Although afterwards we’ll probably have to go clothes shopping, so you don’t have to wear my old clothes that don’t fit.” As of right now the lifeguard sweater and a pair of old shorts he had lying around somewhere were probably all that he had that would fit Leslie without falling off or being too large.

“Can buy, new clothes for Leslie? Is that… okay?”

“Yes, of course.” Sebastian smiled. “It’s okay.”

“Okay!”


	9. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian makes breakfast, realizes something important, and has to go ask the neighbors for a favor.

Once Sebastian helped Leslie change into dry clothes (the same lifeguard sweater, which Leslie had taken quite a liking to—and a pair of Sebastian’s old shorts which Sebastian had to pin several times with safety pins to keep them in place) he walked out with Leslie into the kitchen so they could eat breakfast before they left.

Leslie poked at the pins every so often, pulling the pants higher up his hips to keep them from falling down. While Leslie was occupied with that, Sebastian fished around his refrigerator and cabinets, grabbing everything he needed to make scrambled eggs.

“Leslie, do you like cheese?”

“Cheese. For eggs?” The boy stopped fiddling with the pins for a moment to look up at Sebastian.

Sebastian nodded, returning to the fridge for a moment when he realized he forgot to grab some butter, also turning on the coffee maker so he’d have something to drink with breakfast. “Yeah. It’s pretty good.”

“Cheese… Leslie can try it with eggs. It might be good,” he mused as he sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing a spare piece of paper and a crayon so he could doodle while Sebastian made breakfast. “Leslie will draw for now. So Sebastian can cook.”

“Alright.” Sebastian set to work preparing the eggs and once he was finished all the cooking and had cleaned up the pots and pans, he set down a small plate of eggs in front of Leslie along with a fork and a glass of milk with a straw. At his own spot at the table he placed a larger plate and a cup of coffee before sitting down. Leslie caught sight of the steaming mug and peered over at it curiously.

“What is Sebastian drinking? It looks like mud,” Leslie said straightforwardly as he put a forkful of egg in his mouth.

At Leslie’s comment, Sebastian chuckled. “It’s coffee. It has caffeine in it to help people stay awake if they’re tired. And it tastes good.”

“Can Leslie try?”

“I don’t think you need that much of an energy boost, sorry,” he answered while shaking his head, trying to ignore Leslie’s pouting face. He’d gotten really good at mastering that look already, so Sebastian had to be extra careful not to let it get the better of him too often. He couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine how bad a caffeine-fueled Leslie would be. Might be bouncing off the walls, might be running around in circles, or just end up acting goofy in general. Maybe at a future point Sebastian would entrust Leslie with the wonderful thing that was coffee, but only when he was sure he could keep things relatively calm. For now he ate his breakfast and decided not to say anything else about the matter that might further disappoint the boy.

“Aw. Okay.” Leslie continued pouting as he ate the rest of his eggs and sipped at his milk. “Maybe someday.”

“Maybe someday,” Sebastian agreed.

After finishing his breakfast, and waiting for Leslie to finish his, he piled their dishes together and took them to the sink to be cleaned off and placed in the dishwasher. Leslie was still drinking his milk so Sebastian left the cup with him and on his second trip over picked up his coffee mug, drinking the rest of it before quickly rinsing it out in the sink and placing that in the dishwasher as well. He’d probably have to set the dishwasher at some point, given all the plates and cups he’d been using as of late since Leslie had joined him. Not that he minded, of course, Leslie’s company in Sebastian’s apartment was more than welcome.

Sebastian glanced at the clock and decided it was time to go. “Alright, Leslie, let’s get going. We’ll be there for a few hours, but not too long. And remember, we’re going clothes shopping after. We might also go get some more food while we’re out, if you’re good.”

“Leslie will be good. Promise.” Leslie nodded eagerly. “Good and helpful.”

Stepping back into the hallway, he grabbed a jacket from his coatrack by the door and made sure he had everything, and was about to open the door before he realized something important. Leslie had no shoes.

“Hey, Leslie, wait here for a moment, okay? I have to go ask my neighbors for a favor…”

He wasn’t quite sure how his neighbors would react to his sudden request, if they were even home, but one thing he knew for certain. They had a teenage son who, probably, had a spare pair of shoes somewhere. He’d just have to owe them something later, which he was fine with. It was just for the day, after all. He’d have to get Leslie some better shoes than some borrowed neighbor-kid’s old sneakers. But it’d have to do for now.

So Sebastian unlocked his door and stepped over to the door to his right, knocking a few times and waiting to hear an answer. There was some racket inside, but the door eventually opened and a short, middle-aged woman with sandy blonde hair answered.

“Oh. Can I… help you? You look familiar,” she said cautiously. Somewhere in the background there was a faint sound of video games being played and subsequent shouting. Which was probably the son.

“Yeah. I’m your neighbor, and, well…” Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “Could I ask for a favor? Just for the day.”

“Sure… I guess.” She opened the door a little wider so she could see what he wanted.

“Does your son have a pair of shoes I could borrow? I mean. They’re not actually for me. I have a—well, a visitor of sorts. And he doesn’t have any shoes. He’s probably about the same shoe size. And we have to go places today and I hadn’t had a chance to go out yet…”

The woman’s face contorted in brief confusion, but she nodded understandingly and passed him a sympathetic look before turning and calling back into the house, toward the TV noises. “Tyler, I need a pair of your shoes for the neighbor…”

“Why can’t he get his own shoes?” Came the snarky reply. The woman scowled back at him but sighed and tried to keep composed in front of Sebastian.

“But Tyler, I just bought you those new ones the other day. You can do without an old pair for a day, can’t you?”

“Yeah, whatever, just take them—ah, dammit, that was an unfair shot, you motherf—” The boy resumed yelling at what Sebastian assumed was other players, judging by the way he swore like a pissed-off sailor. Sebastian thought, it was astonishing he probably sounded like that when he was angry. It was a wonder Joseph tolerated all that foul-mouthedness on a near daily basis. Maybe now that Sebastian had to reapply his swearing filter more often he was starting to notice just how frequently everyone else cursed.

The blonde woman shrugged helplessly but snatched up a pair of decent-looking sandals from behind the door and handed them to him, whispering, “You can keep them. He’s so absorbed in those games, he’ll probably forget they’re even gone. I hope they fit…”

Sebastian nodded his thanks and smiled as he took the shoes. “Hey, thanks for helping me out. If you ever need anything, you know…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, it was nothing. Just what neighbors do, right?” She smiled. Sebastian really felt bad for her, if she had to deal with a son like this “Tyler” kid, who seemed not to give two shits about anything other than his TV. That said, the woman was probably a saint for being able to deal with that level of teenage awfulness on a daily basis.

“Well, thanks again, I really appreciate it. Take care, alright?”

“Oh, you’re welcome. You too, and I hope those shoes go to a good home.” She smiled and nodded politely before closing the door and relocking it, muffling the sounds of yelling once again.

When Sebastian returned to his apartment, Leslie was sitting cross-legged leaned against the wall near the front door. “Hello, hello. Sebastian came back!”

“Yep. And I brought you some shoes. The neighbor let us have these, which was very nice of her.”

“Kind neighbors. Leslie would like to thank them sometime.”

“We can write her a thank-you card, if you want. That can be your project while I’m at work, how about that? You can keep busy and be helpful, by showing the one who gave you the shoes how thankful you are.” Sebastian sat down next to Leslie, to help him put the new shoes on.

“Right!” Leslie smiled after Sebastian fastened the sandals onto his feet. They were just the right size, surprisingly enough. “Leslie will make a colorful card, to say thank you to the neighbor.”

Sebastian smiled back, holding out a hand to help Leslie stand up so they could finally get ready to leave. “Alright. Let’s go to work!” He’d have to remember to call Joseph and let him know they were coming in for a while…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (may or may not have borrowed an OC - Tyler - for the sake of the plot haha. I needed a snarky child and so I borrowed him because he's just that kind of kid pff. Might write some of him and his other friends if I ever get around to posting my and Alec's highschool rp ideas in fic forms~ oooo)


	10. Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian has a few flashbacks to his past working with Joseph.

The two got into Sebastian’s car and Leslie had a bit of difficulty with the seatbelt so Sebastian had to help him with that. But before Sebastian began to drive anywhere he pulled out his phone and dialed Joseph’s number. It rang a few times before Joseph picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hi!” Leslie called happily when he heard Joseph’s voice, and Sebastian chimed in with a small ‘hello.’

“Oh, Sebastian. And Leslie too. Is everything alright?”

Sebastian set the phone down in one of the cup holders and put it on speaker phone so the three of them could talk for a few minutes. “Yeah. Just wanted to call to let you know I’m coming in to work for a bit. I’m bringing Leslie, but he’s going to keep himself occupied in our office while I catch up on… well, everything.”

“Leslie’s going to make a thank-you card!”

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Joseph said, trying to stay cheerful for Leslie’s sake. Judging by the shouting and constant phone-ringing and paper shuffling sounds in the background of Joseph’s side of the call, things weren’t exactly all that great at the moment.

“Alright, well, we’re on our way. Be there soon. Think you can hold down the fort until then?” Sebastian asked.

“Can do. Just… don’t take too long? Things are kind of crazy down here.”

“I’ll try my best. See you when we get there, okay, Jo?”

“Yeah. See you…”

“Bye, Uncle Jojo!” Leslie chirped happily.

“Oh…” Joseph seemed surprised at Leslie’s use of the nickname, but said nothing about it. It’d just been so long since he’d been called “Uncle Jojo” it shocked him for a brief moment. “Yes, goodbye, Leslie. Bye, Sebastian…”

“Be there soon,” Sebastian said before hanging up the phone. He started up the car and Leslie sat patiently as they drove, watching with amusement as the buildings passed by. Then, he turned his head and looked with interest at the radio.

Sebastian smiled as Leslie poked at a few of the radio buttons. “I can turn on the radio for you if you want.”

“Okay.”

Leslie moved back to his seat so Sebastian could press a few buttons and soon faint music filled the car. Sebastian turned it up a bit and realized it was something rather raunchy—probably changed when Leslie fiddled with the buttons earlier—and immediately changed the station to something else. It was classical music, but at least it had no words. The soft melody of something familiar flowed through the speakers and Sebastian sighed. It sounded like something Joseph played for him once…

A memory suddenly came to Sebastian as he drove. It was of him, at Joseph’s apartment, and Joseph finally telling Sebastian that he played piano. It was surprising. Sebastian never took Joseph as the musical type, but Joseph had always had a piano in his apartment and Sebastian just never took notice of it since it sat off in a corner and looked somewhat neglected. That was the opposite of the truth, though, Joseph cared deeply for his piano. He played it whenever he had time, as he’d told Sebastian. And one time, Sebastian remembered when he leaned against the wall by the piano and listened as Joseph played something for him. He had no idea what the name of it was, but it was a soft melody. Something calming.

A few moments later Sebastian returned his attention to the road and spared a glance at Leslie, who was leaned back in the chair, running his hand over the seatbelt, feeling its interesting texture as he listened to the radio. Leslie seemed to enjoy the music, so Sebastian just left the radio on that station for now and found himself calmed by it too. Ordinarily he never listened to things like this, but it was a nice change of pace.

Soon they arrived at the offices and Sebastian found a parking space, quickly turning off his car and helping Leslie out of the truck before heading inside. Leslie grabbed onto the back of Sebastian’s shirt and held onto it, trailing a step or two behind him as he made small, worried sounds.

“Don’t worry, Leslie, we’re going to go see Uncle Jojo now. And my friends at work. They’re nice people, and they’re part of the police like I am.”

“…Okay…” Leslie gave Sebastian a small smile and loosened his grip on Sebastian’s shirt just a bit, and the two made their way inside. Sure enough it was hectic but things must have calmed down since Sebastian had called Joseph, as no one was running around like their clothes were on fire. Which was good.

Sebastian walked toward his shared office with Joseph and opened the door. Joseph sat at his desk, looking exhausted, but smiled when he saw Sebastian with Leslie.

“Hi, you two…”

“You doing okay?” Sebastian asked, sitting down at his own desk and guiding Leslie to the corner, grabbing a few sheets of paper and a few colored pens for Leslie to start coloring and make that Thank-You card he’d been mentioning earlier.

Nodding, Joseph replied, “Yeah. There’s some paperwork that needs to be done but I think I’ve finished most of it. I could use a hand though, I’ve been working on this since yesterday and—” he gestured to the stack of papers that had accumulated on both of their desks, “—well, more just keeps getting added…”

“Hm. Alright then. Let’s just start from the top of the stack and see how much we can get done with the rest of the time that we have.”

“Sounds good.”

Sebastian glanced back to Leslie, who was completely absorbed in his doodling. He’d probably keep busy for the next hour or so, so they had time to work without being interrupted too many times.

So while Leslie colored, Sebastian and Joseph worked and, now that they were back together, things seemed to pass a lot faster. They worked so well together, even after everything. They both found a sort of relief in their work (despite the enormous stress it sometimes brought them) and during times like this they tended to become completely absorbed in it. When there was things to be done, people to talk to, and phone calls to be made…

The situation they were in, the way they were completely surrounded with paperwork, reminded Sebastian of another memory, one time when Sebastian and Joseph had first met. When Joseph’s hair was just a bit longer. Once, while they were at work it had rained like crazy the entire day and, the two of them were completely unprepared. After all it had been sunny and pleasant that morning, who would have guessed that the skies were going to open up and nearly drown the city? Joseph hadn’t even brought a jacket that day and so they had to both huddle under Sebastian’s jacket as they made a run for the parking lot, Sebastian laughing as Joseph struggled to keep up without dropping the jacket, trying at the same time to wipe the stray beads of rainwater off of his glasses so he could see.

Back then, it was just them against the world, facing everything from unexpected rainstorms to sudden increases in crime and paperwork and pretty much everything. Things probably wouldn’t go back to that sort of normal, but Sebastian certainly enjoyed the memories. It was something good he could come back to while they worked on the boring things, trying to get as much done as possible before they had to leave for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah sorry for the wait everyone! I'm nearing the last two weeks of school and things are getting crazy O: I promise though I'll keep working on this and Flowers in the Rain when I find the time!


	11. Pretending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Sebastian watch a movie and spend the evening together after a shopping adventure.

“Leslie finished the card!” the boy cheered happily, waving the piece of paper for Sebastian to look at. “It’s pretty.”

“Yes, very,” Sebastian said with a smile as he paused his work with Joseph for a moment to look down at the picture. “I’m sure the neighbor will be very happy with it.”

“Yay!”

Sebastian and Joseph continued working—Leslie easily keeping occupied with drawing and humming to himself—and before they knew it their workday was over and they could leave. Saying goodbye to Joseph, and Leslie leaving him with quite a large stack of cute doodles—Sebastian and Leslie made their way out to Sebastian’s car so they could go home.

“Oh,” Sebastian said as he started up the car and made sure Leslie was buckled up safely. “I almost forgot.”

“Forgot? Oh! Forgot… shopping? For clothes things?”

“Yeah. We can get you some warm pajamas, and some new pants, and socks, too.”

So they spent the rest of their time out shopping—Leslie’s eyes glittering with joy every time he found something colorful he liked. It seemed that yellows and greens were his favorite colors, especially the light, pale pastel kind. Sebastian smiled as he watched Leslie point out things here and there, and though many people gave the two of them odd looks due to Leslie’s behavior and seemingly contrasting age, Sebastian ignored them and just watched Leslie enjoying himself. Even with something as simple as shopping, he seemed to be having fun.

Once they’d returned home with the bags from the store, Sebastian took Leslie next door to give the card to their neighbor, who seemed incredibly happy to receive a gift from him. She saw the kindness in the gesture and couldn’t help but smile. After that, Leslie excitedly began to leaf through the contents of the bags as if rediscovering the things they’d bought.

“Can Leslie change?” the boy asked and held up a pair of fluffy light blue pajama pants and a white shirt with a big yellow star on the front.

Sebastian nodded and before he could offer to help, Leslie was already struggling to get out of his shirt, making soft excited noises as he pulled on the pants and let his fingers run against the soft texture. To just let him finish, Sebastian kept a watchful eye in case he needed to help, but smiled nonetheless as he saw Leslie’s apparent excitement at the new clothes.

And they fit him well, Sebastian had to admit, he looked so much more, well, normal. And happy. Hard to believe this was the same kid he’d found shivering and malnourished, barely able to communicate, with no one to take care of him. Of course back then no one who really made an effort to understand him. To everyone he’d been around, he was just something to be used. And Sebastian knew what it felt like to be used. He wanted Leslie to have the best opportunity he could now to get past everything that had happened, to start a new life.

To think of a good end to their day, Sebastian offered to set up a movie on the TV. Leslie nodded and when Sebastian led him over to the shelf, where some of his movies still sat gathering dust—he’d been too nostalgic to donate them or throw them away after what had happened. Who knew one day, he’d be watching them again with someone new.

“This one?” Leslie asked, picking up a copy of The Little Mermaid and holding it up. “Bubbles. And fishes. And a fish girl?”

Sebastian chuckled and went over to Leslie so he could put the DVD in his DVD player and start it up. “Yes, that’s Ariel. She’s a mermaid, so she’s half human and half fish.”

“Oh,” Leslie said, eyes lowering to look at the picture on the cover once again. “Mermaid, fish girl. Pretty. Leslie wants to be a fish girl too. Can swim with fishes and things.”

Why would he squash the kid’s creativity? If he wanted to be a fish girl, he might as well be the best fish girl he could be. Let him dream, Sebastian thought to himself with a smile. Ruffling Leslie’s puff of white hair, he found the grin still on his face as he patted the couch next to him and Leslie eagerly sat next to him, snuggled up in a little ball with his head against Sebastian’s chest.

“Alright my little fish, let’s watch the movie,” Sebastian said, a gentle wash of emotions carrying over him as he wrapped an arm around Leslie to hold him close. He wondered, if he would have done the same with Lily, cuddled up with her on the couch to watch movies… at least this way he still had a taste of what being a father was like, and he could care for Leslie as well. They really did both need each other, maybe more than they both realized. Leslie needed a caretaker that understood him, and Sebastian needed something to keep him occupied, to not think about how much danger everyone had been in. To not dwell on those memories would be in his and Leslie’s best interest.

Unsurprisingly, Leslie greatly enjoyed the movie and he hummed along softly to the music and laughed at any of the jokes, and he took a liking to Sebastian the crab. Also unsurprisingly.

“Just like you, but he talks funny,” Leslie said, sticking his tongue out a little. “Sebastian. He’s a crab. But you’re not a crab. You’re human.”

“Well, some people say I’m a crab when I haven’t had my coffee.”

“You’re a fish?”

Sebastian laughed. “No, it’s just an expression. When someone is being a ‘crab’ it means they’re just being grumpy. Sometimes I get grumpy if I have trouble waking up in the morning.”

“Grumpy Sebastian.” Leslie laughed too and nuzzled into Sebastian’s warm chest. “But I like Sebastian. Sebastian hasn’t been a crab to me yet. Sebastian is good not crab.”

The two sat in relative silence for the rest of the movie and after a while Leslie began to fall asleep so Sebastian gently nudged him awake and asked in a quiet voice, “How about we get you to bed, hm?”

“Bedtime is good,” mumbled Leslie tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. He sat up after a moment and waddled off to the bedroom, poking his head out the door to wait for Sebastian to follow behind him. Leslie climbed into the bed on his own and Sebastian tucked him in although he was sure not to tuck him in too tightly. Leslie gave Sebastian a tight hug and a loving little nuzzle against his cheek, and Sebastian returned the gesture. After he pulled away, Leslie looked up at him with a weary, almost nervous, gaze and so Sebastian leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Leslie’s forehead. It was the first time he’d done anything like that in a long while but it just felt natural. Leslie had really become like his son lately. Leslie’s eyes lit up a little bit before he made a happy little noise and snuggled deep into the blanket cocoon Sebastian had tucked him into.

“Goodnight, Sebastian,” said Leslie, just the tip of his head visible from the blanket pile.

“Goodnight little fish,” Sebastian replied with a gentle grin. “Sleep well. Remember, I’m always down the hall. Wake me up if you need me, alright?”

“Alright…”

Barely a few seconds later, Sebastian heard the sounds of soft breathing and peeked over to see Leslie’s eyes closed. He looked so peaceful sleeping like that. As quietly as he could, Sebastian left Leslie’s room and went back out into the living room to make a phone call to Joseph. Just to give him an update about what was going on.

“Hey, Seb, is everything alright?” Joseph said, slight static on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just wanted to tell you… I don’t really know how I should go about this, but I want to legally adopt Leslie. He needs someone to take care of him. I don’t want him to go somewhere where no one knows anything about him. He’s too old for foster care and I don’t want him to end up in the hospital…”

There was a strange pause.

“You’re sure about this?” Joseph asked cautiously, with a hint of surprise.

“Yeah. I am. This is a second chance, Joseph, don’t you see?”

Joseph sighed. “Yes, I suppose, but—”

More than he’d meant to, Sebastian let a little bit of anger seep into his tone. “I know what I’m getting into. I’ve seen what he’s been through. The poor kid needs help. But not the kind you get in a hospital. He needs a family. And… I need a family, too. Don’t get me wrong, Jo, you’re family too. I… just, this is something different.”

“I see. Well, if you really want to look into it, I’ll help you out. Partners stick together, of course.” Despite Sebastian’s slight anger, Joseph seemed to understand all too well.

“Thanks, Joseph. Your help means a lot. It always does.”

“The chief’s been wondering when you’re gonna come back to work with me again,” Joseph said softly, “But I can tell him you’re still using vacation time. I know you won’t always be able to take Leslie with you, so if you want, I can help you find a good babysitter as well. –Ah, I suppose babysitter is the wrong term. He needs a psychologist, perhaps. Someone who can provide care without upsetting him…”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Sebastian mused, thinking about it hard. He’d have to prepare Leslie for it, but going out in public and socializing would be a good first step. Maybe taking him to the local park, letting him play with other children, it might be good to help get him used to other people. “How about we all go for lunch at the park tomorrow, and talk more about it then?”

“Sounds good. See you then, Seb,” Joseph said, and hung up the phone after Sebastian said goodbye as well. All that was left now was to just straighten up a little—something he found himself doing a lot more often lately as an attempt to childproof anything Leslie might try to get into. Just all the struggles of being a good parent, and that’s what he wanted to be for Leslie, to make up for all the hard times he’d had in his past. This was his second chance, as he said, and he wanted to make the best of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone for hanging in there while I've been on a hiatus with this! I finally found the inspiration to keep going with it and here's the newest chapter! I figured school would help me get back into the swing of things so hopefully I can add more chapters somewhat more regularly. Depending on my particular feels-needs lol I still have a lot of fun with this, it's just too cute ahh


End file.
